For a fair part of the way through this book I did a pretty good job of convincing myself that it was a pretty good collection. But alas the truth won out as the fatigue of reading too many dusty white brit reviews that packed little or no punch diluted the power of the sharp wit that does pop up now and again throughout this work. For every delightful Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde and Dorothy Parker quote, there were several by people I've never heard of about people I've never heard of the wit of which does not survive without context. Too often I felt like I was overhearing parts of a conversation from across cigar smoke filled room where the self congratulating laughter drowns the punch line. Assume this is lazy curation where diamonds and rocks were collected without concern to which might shine.